Photo/Illutration A serious blood shortage is evident at the Japanese Red Cross blood center for the Tokyo area on Dec. 3. (Nobuo Fujiwara)

Blood supplies are rapidly running low in the Tokyo metropolitan area because the novel coronavirus pandemic has severely limited donations through the usual routes.

The Japanese Red Cross Society (JRC) usually sends bloodmobiles to corporations and universities to collect blood from groups of people.

But this year, 40 percent of group blood donations were canceled in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba prefectures because more employees and students are working or taking online lessons at home.

According to the JRC’s blood center for the Kanto-Koshinetsu region, the number of blood donors from April through October in Tokyo and the surrounding prefectures was down by 9 percent, or about 45,000 donors, from initial expectations.

The JRC has sent temporary bloodmobiles to areas near railway stations to seek blood donors, but the effort has not been enough to cover the shortages.

The blood center for the Kanto-Koshinetsu region since mid-October has found it difficult to maintain appropriate levels of red blood cell products.

Tomohiko Mitsuyoshi, a JRC official of the blood center for the region, said he is very concerned about the many cancellations of group blood donations.

“We have been unable to seek blood donors in a constant and planned manner,” Mitsuyoshi, 40, said. “About 3,000 patients are waiting for blood daily across the nation, so we need a certain amount of blood donations every day.”

The blood center will increase its donation locations in Tokyo from three on Dec. 31 last year to nine on the same date this year to replenish supplies.

Mitsuyoshi said he understands that people are now being asked to avoid nonessential outings amid the recent surge in novel coronavirus infections.

“But blood donations are very essential. If you make reservations, you can avoid crowds at those donation spots, so please come and donate blood without worrying too much about infections,” he said.

According to the JRC’s latest figures, blood donations of 400 milliliters have been the most seriously affected by the pandemic, with blood donors of that amount across Japan in October decreasing by 2.1 percent year on year. That equals about 6,000 fewer blood donors.

Tokyo saw a 14.8-percent year-on-year decrease, or about 5,000 blood donors.

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